Tuesday, January 24, 2012

It's five, no six, better make that seven Irish or Irish-related Oscar nominations.

Three for Albert Nobbs, best actress and best actress in a supporting role for Glenn Close and Janet McTeer respectively, and best makeup. Plus two in the short live action category for Peter McDonald's Pentecost and Terry George's The Shore.

The sixth is Peter Devlin's nomination for his work on Transformers

The seventh is Tom Johnson, resident of Roundwood and stalwart of Ardmore Sound, Best Sound Mixing for War Horse*

Congrats all round!

*hat tip to Alan Collins for alerting me to Tom's nomination, I missed it in the lists

"Albert Nobbs" may have an Irish setting, but naming Glenn Close and Janet McTeer and giving them "congrats" is dubious since neither of them are Irish - it just comes across as name-dropping.

"Irish-related" is also dodgy as it expands the definition of what is "Irish" so more films and individuals can be pulled in so they can receive our "congrats".

Do other countries engage in what seems to be a constant insecure grasping for legitimacy? Do the Poles for example crow every year about every conceivable Polish connection to whatever films and individuals receive Academy Award nominations?

I'm not criticising you IFP per se, because this kind of thing is replicated across the Irish media. To me though it's childish and immature, and I think only two nominations from your list are genuinely "Irish".

Regarding the 'PR spin' comment - I hear what you're saying. Generally I try not to over-state these things. I usually try to separate out Irish-originated projects from those developed elsewhere which may have an Irish co-production angle.

When it comes to Irish talent working elswhere, either in front of or behind the camera, I think it's fair to claim them as our own but not necessarily as an achievement of the 'Irish film industry'.

Indeed there are very many Irish actors and technicians who work at least as often outside the country as in it. One might regard that as a failing of the Irish industry. As is the case in many other professions we export surplus capacity rather than create additional work at home.

Albert Nobbs is an Irish story and a labour of love for its lead actor, Glenn Close, whose gritty determination over fifteen years has brought it to the screen. Co-written by John Banville, filmed, co-produced and co-financed in Ireland with funding from the IFB and S481. It is, to my mind, sufficiently 'Irish' for us to offer our congratulations to the nominees.